Residential neighborhood near the train station moves one step closer to becoming a reality

The Granador site near Hitzkirch and Ermensee is changing hands, giving new momentum to a development project that had been stalled for years. According to the design plan approved in March 2026, the new owner aims to submit a building application for approximately 275 apartments as early as 2027.

With the change in ownership, the site directly adjacent to the Hitzkirch/Ermensee train station is set to receive a new boost in development. The plan calls for a phased development comprising approximately 275 rental and owner-occupied apartments, as well as complementary commercial space, on a site covering approximately 36,600 square meters.

The planning framework is already in place. The Hitzkirch municipality’s construction decisions list the approval decision for the “Granador Site” design plan for March 2026. At the same time, documents from the ongoing local planning revision show that the municipalities of Hitzkirch and Ermensee are technically adapting their zoning plans to a boundary change that will take legal effect as early as 2022, thereby ensuring that the area spanning both municipalities remains developable in the future.

From Industrial Site to Residential Location
The seller of the site is Sayano Family Office AG of Zug, which has owned the development area since 2018. Fortimo Invest AG of St. Gallen is now taking over the property. According to the publicly disclosed transaction, the sale includes a plot of land measuring approximately 31,000 square meters for residential and commercial use, as well as an adjacent commercial plot of more than 5,600 square meters.

For the site, this is more than just a change of ownership. The former industrial site next to the train station had been only partially utilized for years. With this sale, the realization of a new residential neighborhood is now within reach, after the planning-related foundations had to be prepared over a long period of time.

Building Permit Application Targeted for 2027
The new owner now intends to focus further efforts on finalizing the project and preparing the building permit application. The fact that this step is scheduled to take place as early as 2027 is particularly significant because it will transform a long-dormant development site into a concrete new-construction project for Lucerne’s housing market. It remains to be seen how quickly the individual phases will be implemented afterward and how much weight will ultimately be given to the complementary commercial uses in the neighborhood.